The joy of bespoke: 5 ideas for a DIY hamper of delightful Noël gifts

1. Cherry-pick long-lasting (and lavish) survival foods

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, we all know that the pandemic is likely to spill into next year. Thus, a Covid Christmas is inevitable. And judging by the way people reacted before lockdowns, survival foods are in. It doesn’t have to be lowbrow canned food though, it is Christmas after all.

First, roe your way to the recipient’s heart with this Whole Tin of French Caviar ($295 for 125g, from Burnt Ends). Small tins of vacuum sealed caviar can last three to six months. Then add a complementary bottle of wine, which, kept correctly, can last up to 20 years. Finally, add some (actually, a lot of) spice into the luxurious mix—a Tabaso Limited-Edition 1 Gallon Glass Bottle ($128, from Shinsen) would do just the trick. The sauce is known to hold its peppery flavour for five years. But if kept properly, some claim that it can virtually never spoil.

2. Set a price point and stick to it for affordable Noel gifts

Create the bespoke Christmas hamper for that special someone without breaking the bank. To do that, set a limit to the price of each item to buy and bundle. It could be everything under $20, $15 or $10. Some budget-friendly ideas to pile up in a Christmas hamper include: The Belgian Winter Santa chocolate ($4 for 153g) from The Cocoa Trees and Mini Mint Almond Choc Chips ($8 for 20 pieces) from Kreyv.

3. Cater for special dietary requirements

For loved ones with dietary restrictions, the only way to make sure sure there aren’t any unsuitable surprises lurking in a standard store-bought hamper is to create your own. These could be gluten-free gift baskets, keto box sets or vegan hampers.

For the gluten intolerant, get a whole Gluten Free Bread Loaf ($28) from Wild Honey and a bottle of the hop-forward but gluten-skipped Vagabond Pale Ale ($14.20 for 330ml) from The Butcher’s Wife. The same place also retails the dairy-free and ultra-green Green Goblin Cider ($18.80 for 500 ml). It is suitable for vegans and pairs well with some ‘goat’ cheese. Yes, the vegan macadamia ‘goats’ cheese ($12.90) from the The Living Café‘s famous ‘goats’ cheese rolls now comes in a jar. For keto diet fanatics, go nuts by gifting them sealed bags of Activated Nuts ($4.50 for a bag of cashew or almond). Add some actual cheese, which are low in carbs and high in fat. A great fit for anyone on a ketogenic diet.

4. Spread the goodness of natural and organic products

With the outbreak of Covid-19, choosing sustainable options is more crucial than ever. So, support your local delis or stores that stock organic products by buying your Noel gifts from them. These are typically made using produce that are grown without chemical fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and antibiotics. Gifting can be as simple as bundling up bottles of Organic Olive Oil ($14.40 for 70ml) and packets of Organic Forbidden Black Rice ($3.90 for 200g), both available from Shinsen. Finish with a spirited flourish by including some natural wines ($258 for four bottles) expertly selected by Cicheti’s sommelier.

5. Categorise by country and cuisine

With everyone stuck at home, itching to visit a particular country, wanderlust Christmas hampers are a good bet. Find out the first destination your recipient wants to zip to and gather a bunch of gourmet must-haves from that region. So, for the Italy-devotee, click to Grammi. Snatch up some aged Carnaroli rice ($9.80 for 250g) perfect for risotto, Taggiasche olives from Liguria ($15.80 for 160g), Sicilian Rock Salt ($3.20 for 180g) and more. On the other hand, Japan fans will say arigato to premium sake from Kurara and perennial snacks from Kuriya Japanese Market. Gift the Thai lovers with a chilled box of Thai Milk Tea ($5) from Krapow; homemade Sweet Thai Chilli ($6.90 for 250g) from Greenwood Fish Market; and even some fresh frozen curry ($16 for one sachet of green curry and one sachet of red curry) from Sawadee Thai Cuisine.